Vehicle bumper



Oct. 4,1927.

A. WEILAND VEHICLE BUMPER Filed May 5. 1926 m 0, m wm H wwf W WHIH D m F E; /VL

yhaving supplemental shock' absorbing Patented Oct. 4, 1927.

UNITED STATES ALFRED WEILAND, or NESHANIC, NEWY JERSEY, AssIGNoR To PNEUMA-'rc MPL1- ANGES CORPORATION, .OF NEV YORK, N. Y., A- CORPORATION I0F DELAWARE.

VEHICLE BUMPER.

Application inea May 5,

The present invention relates to vehicle bumpers, and more 'particularly to an improved resilient shock absorb-ing impact re-l ceiving bumper `for automobiles. d

In fautoniobilebuinpers as heretofore constructed, 'the steelfor 'manufacturing such bumpers is received from the millin a tem-- pered condition for use and has a finish sui1- able for use as a finished product or suitabletov receive a nickel finish for use. In shaping this 'steel as received. from the lmill so :that it Will have the desired bumper contour, it is' necessary to heat the steel to bend it to the desired shape, and as a consequence the heating and oxidation produces a scale Which makes it necessary to 'grind the bumper bars 'to remove the scale `and restore the surface to a iinishedi'condition to receive the nickel. n

Sonie of the objects of the present inve-n-` tion 'are to provide a bumper, the bars of AWhich are used in the same condition as when received from the steel mill g" to provide a resilient shock absorbing bumper which in its manufacture does not require heating to bring it to its proper shape, and l consequently the regrindingv and retempering steps, ordinarily necessary, are eliminated; to producea practicall commercial bumper of. att-ractive appearance Without heating the steel/during its conversion from, the state received' from `the. mill tof the completed bumper; to provide an. improved bunrler ,e vices to supplement the action of the impact receiving bars; 'to provide a 'bumper vvlrerei-n metal 'to metal contact between impact receiving and shock absorbing parts is eliminated; andv to provide other improvernerrtsv as'Wi-ll hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying; drawings, Fig'. l represents a front elevation ofla vehicle bumper embodying one form oi" the present invention; Fig., 2" represents a pla-n of the same;

Fig. 3 represents a `section on line 3-3' of Fig. 2'; and' t represents a section' on line ofliig'. 2. f

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly "tof the form of the. invention illustra'ted on sheet one, a vehicle `bumper 10 is shown comprising two impact bars y11 and 12, arranged in sup'erposed edge to edge par-v allel relation andsuitably spaced in order to form an impact receiving surface of suitablevvidth. The length of. these bars is such 1926. Serial No. 106,868,

as to extend across the front of an' 'antoniobile to vserve as a guard protect-ingthe front fenders ot the vehicle as Well as thel "parts Y therebetween. .These bars' 11 :and were sub;

stantially straight througlioittlieirlength, tho-ugh, as wnlllere'r appear, 'their Afree end portionsinay be bent Y'sliglitly reerivll 'fg that is, in the direction 'of the vehiele.to` e protected, though this bend-isnot -Sel'ies to exceed the inherent elasti-eity ofthe spring' stock as received from the Yi'nilL' In lo'tlle." Words, Whatever rearwtrcl-k oi the end' portions' oil` the inipct bars there iis', it such as can' take place Without heating-the bar, and the naturally 'flexed 'are held in flexed position, as willbe presently peinte ed out.

For supporting the bars 11 and 1.2 upon the vehicle,A supplemental shock absorbing de' vices are employed, consistingv in the present instan-ce of t'Wo vcushioning elements 13 which are respectively fastened to the impact bars 1l and l2 by bolts 14 at. vone side :and at the opposite side vby bolts l5 to bracket members lo'by which the bumper is mounted uponthe vehicleframe or otherl lixed part.'l Arsl here shown, the cushioning 'elements 13 arevformed of rubber molded into asubstantially rectangular form having the longaxlis 'substantially requal to the Width of the bumper asv determined by the two impact bars 'll/ and l2'. Preferably also the elements 13 'are 'of hollow Yforni and will more' vgelrlerally have a pressure Yifn-edium molded therein to give fapneumatic effect. Also, during the molding operation, a rear plate'- 17 l is' molded into the 'element 13 to abut the rear Wall, and' second plate 18 is molded thereinto/abut the frontV wall of the element 13, these plates serving respectively to hold the heads of. the bolts le and l5 and distribute the clamping'. pressure. The iront Wall of the yelement 13 is molded with two recesses QO'and 2l of such a depth as to seat the impact bars Il and 12 with their outer faces flu'sh Witlr the body portio'n'ot' the element 1:3. A clamping. 'plate 22, provided with laterally turnedfflanfge's `23,l is 'arranged 'toiseat 'transversely across and over the to'p and bottoni edges of the bars and 12, -but in order to avoid: metal to metal contact between otherwise abutting metal faces, a' strip 24 ot fabric or any other 'suitable material is interposed between the parts and all? held clamped by a' nut 25'. At the oppositeside oft they e1e1'nentl3 the fbol't l5 passes through a rear bar 26 and also 'the end portion of one of the brackets 16, the parts being firmly clamped together by a nut 27. Thus, as assembled, the two impact bars 11 and 12 are carried by two cushioning elements 13 of sul'licient natural rigidity to prevent sagging or improper flexing, and these latter are held by the rear bar 26 `which is supported upon the brackets 16. Preferably the rear bar 26 is of heavier section than the impact bars 11 and 12 in order to hold its straight shape, and to also efficiently take care of thrusts caused by impacts bordering upon the abnormal.

For the purpose of increasing-the general shock absorbing characteristics of the bumper ofthe present invention'and preserving the generalstraight line `effect of the impact barsll and 12, th-e ends of the impact bars are connected by flexible fastenings to the rear bar 26. Each 4of these fastenings preferably consists of a substantially U-shaped strap 28, preferably of rubber, though it may be of any suitable flexible resilient fabric, having one leg fastened to the impact bars 11 and 12 by rivets 30 which also secure a backing plate 31 so that the leg is securely held. The other leg of the strap 28 is made fast .to the rear bar 26 byclamping it by rivets .32 between a relatively heavy centering plate 33 and a face plate 34, the construction being such that metal to metal contact between the rear bar 26 and the plate 34 is avoided. The centering plate 33 is recessed to seat the rear bar 26 flush with the line of the joint between the centering plate 33 and the legs of the strap 28.

To preserve the general arcuate shape of the strap and to prevent wear or breaking along the flexing line of the strap 28, a reinforcing segment 35, preferably of metal and shaped to fit the contour of the inner wall of the strap 28, is anchored by rivets 36 to the aforesaid strap 28.

Thus a construction is provided which allows substantially free play to the ends of the impact bars and does not under any conditions transmit through the straps 28 the shock of a blow upon the impact bars to the rear bar 26. 7h-en a blow of sufficient force to collapse the ends of the impact bars 11 and 12 to their limit of movement occurs these ends then directly abut the fastenings of the rear bar ends and the rear bar 26 at that time comes into action to supplement the impact bars in absorbing the shock. This construction in addition to promoting flex-- ibility and increased shock absorbing properties avoids the undesirable metal to metal contact between the rear and front bars of a bumper and does away with the direct transmission of an impact to the rear bar by way of a metal connection whatever its form.

From the foregoing it will now be appar` ent that a complete unitary vehicle bumper has been devised wherein metal connection between the impact bar or bars and the rear bar has been entirely eliminated and the only connections therebetween are by way of rubber, or rubberized fabric or any other equivalent flexible material. Thus in operation an impact received at the central portion of the bumper will be absorbed, if relatively light, by the impact bars 11 and 12, andy if relatively heavy by the impact bars 11 and 12 plus the supplemental action of the cushioning elements.l On the other hand7 an impact received on either of the end portionsl will be absorbed if relatively light by the fiexing of thev ends of the impact bars and the resistance of the straps 28,v

and if relatively heavy by the flexing of the ends of the impact bars into Contact, withY the fastenings for the rear bar so that the rear bar with its increased rigidity will take bending of the impact bars beyond 'the point where a set bend would occur.

It will thus be evident that the bumper Yas a unit has no metal wearing surfaces, contacts or fastening devices which in ordinary bumper constructions cause loose joints, loose connections and attendant rattling.

Having thus described my invention, claim:

1. A bumper construction comprising an impact bar, a rear bar, means for supporting said rear bar from the frame of a vehicle, resilient members connecting said impactbar and said rear bar between'the ends thereof, and rubber or rubberized fabric respective` ly connecting the ends of said impact bar to the ends of said rear bar.

2. A bumper construction comprising an impact bar, a rear bar, means for supporting said rear bar from the frame of a vehicle, members of molded resilient material connecting said impact bar and said rear bar between the ends thereof, and molded resilient Vmaterial respectively connecting lthe ends of said impact bar to the ends of said rear bar.

3. A bumper construction comprising impact bars, a rear bar, means for supporting said rear bar from the frame of a vehicle, members of molded resilient material con necting said impact bars and said rear bar between the ends thereof, and molded resilf ient material respectively connecting the ends of said impact bar to the ends vof said rear bar. Y

4. A, bumper construction comprising a pair of vertically spaced impact bars, a rear bar, means for supporting said rear bar from the frame of a vehicle, U-shaped straps of rubber or rubberized fabric interposed between the respective ends of said impact bars to the respective ends of said rear' bar,

means for fastening the respective ends of pair of vertically spaced impact bars, a rear bar, means for supporting` said rear bar from the frame of a vehicle, U-shaped straps of rubber or rubberized fabric interposed between the respective ends of said impact bars 3U to the respective ends of said rear bar, means for fastening the respective ends of said im- Apact bars to said stra-ps, means for fastenlng the respective ends of said rear bar to said straps, and reinforcing segments respectively connected to said straps.

VSigned at Philadelphia1 county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, this 3rd day of May, 1926.

ALFRED WEILAND. 

